Chelsea didn't lose the Premier League title because referees favoured Manchester United, as claimed by Avram Grant.

The champions were the better team.

The Chelsea boss is also wrong to claim his team rose from nowhere to challenge for the title and, therefore, now have the momentum to win the Champions League Final.

Going into last weekend, I thought they might be finishing the campaign the stronger side.

However, I never adhered to the claim that Grant had taken the club forward in leaps and bounds - and the events of the last seven days suggest he may not be able to take them any further.

The Moscow final reminds me of those natural history films of mountain rams trying to gain dominance by ramming horns again and again and again. It's always a hugely impressive show of force and you get the impression that an unlucky slip could send one of the rutting beasts crashing off the precipice.

Last week I'd swung away from United. Now I favour them again. Too much has happened at Chelsea since Ryan Giggs's fitting goal in his record-equalling appearance for United clinched their 17th title.

When news of that strike blew like an ill-wind around Stamford Bridge, it also sucked the strength of purpose from Chelsea legs. They looked a weary, beaten side.

They feared for their injured captain John Terry. They looked at the icepack on Didier Drogba's swollen knee and feared he'd played his last game for the club.

Any momentum they might have gained has sunk away.

That Terry appears fit is testament to his courage. Surely the rumours can't be true that Grant was considering leaving Terry out of the League Cup Final because he doubted his qualities as a man. No relationship could survive that lack of faith.

But rumour, gossip and dressing-room leaks have perforated Chelsea's unity for the last two years.

So just how fit are Chelsea's crucial duo? The club maintains they're OK.

United will test them early on and any flaws will be exposed.

Unless Drogba bullies, they'll be too lightweight to trouble the best defence in the land.

If Terry is uncertain for a split-second the razor-sharp Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez will slice through.

If Grant was supremely confident, why would he be reverting to such crass mind games as to suggest United won the title with help from refs?

Has he forgotten the dreadful decision that gifted his side a penalty at Liverpool in August, or their offside winner that should never have stood at home to Newcastle in December?

Why does he keep saying he hauled Chelsea from an impossible position in the title race? They were fourth when he took over, just two points off the leaders Arsenal and level on points with Liverpool and United.

Last week, 32 games later, they still finished two points off the league leaders. The champions simply won more games, scored more goals and conceded fewer.

Does Grant's verbal attack now betray his lack of selfassurance? Does he realise his time is up? It remains bizarre that no one on the board will confirm that he has a future beyond Wednesday.

There is even one rumour that he's already agreed a severance deal with Roman Abramovich and will either move upstairs or leave the club.

The latest suggestion is that Chelsea are on the brink of appointing Inter Milan's Roberto Mancini.

But Roman, as Caesar, has the final say and while he keeps his thoughts to himself there is too much unease to take into a major final against upbeat, unified United.

It's all about to go up in flames. Heroes burn while Roman fiddles.

United will make it a glorious night of celebration 50 years on from Munich - unless Grant can yet summon a remarkable response from a courageous group of players probably playing together for the last time.